# INT./EXT.

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/int-ext
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Nick Harty, Storiara

> INT. (interior) and EXT. (exterior) are the abbreviations at the start of a scene heading that tell the crew whether the scene takes place indoors or outdoors. INT./EXT. (or I/E) is used when a scene plays both inside and outside at once, like a conversation in a moving car.

## What the tag changes

The INT or EXT tag is one of the first things a [1st AD](https://storiara.com/roles/first-assistant-director) sorts by. On a traditional [stripboard](https://storiara.com/glossary/stripboard), it sets the strip color along with day or night. Many productions use this scheme, though some offices change it:

| Strip color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| White | INT. DAY |
| Yellow | EXT. DAY |
| Blue | INT. NIGHT |
| Green | EXT. NIGHT |

At a glance, a week full of yellow and green is a week at the mercy of weather. Our [stripboard color legend](https://storiara.com/tools/stripboard-color-legend) shows common variations.

Exteriors bring their own list of needs: sunrise and sunset times, permits for public space, neighbors, noise, and rain. Interiors on location bring house rules and power. So a script with 60 percent exterior pages usually needs a longer schedule than the same page count indoors, plus [weather cover](https://storiara.com/glossary/weather-cover).

## Scheduling INT./EXT. scenes

Car scenes are the classic INT./EXT. case:

```
61  INT./EXT. MAYA'S VOLVO - MOVING - NIGHT

    Maya drives. Headlights flare in the rear window.
    She checks the mirror, then floors it.
```

For a scene like this, the breakdown has to say how it will be shot, because the answer changes every department's list:

| Method | Adds to the breakdown |
|---|---|
| Towed on a process trailer | [picture vehicle](https://storiara.com/glossary/picture-vehicle), tow vehicle, police escort, road permit, camera car |
| Stage with LED wall or projection | stage day, playback plates, lighting package, possibly [visual effects](https://storiara.com/glossary/visual-effects) |
| Real driving with rigged cameras | car mounts, [special equipment](https://storiara.com/glossary/special-equipment), a closed road, stunt driver if the "floors it" is real |

Doorways, porches, and windows are the other common INT./EXT. cases. They often split into two setups shot at different times: the exterior of the house on location, the interior on a set weeks later. When that happens, the breakdown should say so, and the [script supervisor](https://storiara.com/roles/script-supervisor) needs to match the action across the cut.

## Common confusion

People tag by story rather than by method and then wonder why the schedule doesn't work. A scene headed INT. BASEMENT in a house you're shooting on a stage is INT for the story and a stage day for the schedule. Most breakdown sheets carry INT/EXT and a separate location field for exactly this. Scene parsers, including the Scenes module in Storiara's [script analysis](https://storiara.com/feature/script-analysis), read INT/EXT straight from the heading, so you add the shooting method yourself.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does INT./EXT. mean in a script?

It means the scene happens inside and outside at the same time or moves between the two, such as a character talking from a car window to someone on the sidewalk, or walking out of a house onto a porch.

### Does an INT. scene have to be shot indoors?

No. INT. describes where the story takes place. A car interior can be shot on a stage with LED screens or process projection, and an interior set can be built outdoors on a backlot. The breakdown notes both the story setting and the plan.

### Why do interior and exterior matter for the schedule?

Exterior scenes depend on weather and daylight. ADs schedule exteriors early and keep interior cover sets available so a rain day doesn't stop production.